Leon Vynehall - Butterflies

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  • While there was no doubting the brilliance of Music For The Uninvited, Leon Vynehall's eclectic collection of house, downtempo and garage-flecked grooves from earlier this year, there was some confusion about its format. It was reviewed as an album in places—the producer's original intention—but Vynehall later said it should be consumed as an extended EP. His two-track debut for Clone offshoot Royal Oak could have come across as anaemic in comparison, but both "Butterflies" and "This Is The Place" have an irresistible buzz about them. "Butterflies" is a more traditional house record than anything on Music For The Uninvited, but it's executed with similar levels of distinction. Sift through the looping piano sample and vocal snippet and you'll hear Vynehall making continuous plays for your emotions, with subtle synth swells, compressed kicks and simple percussive clicks. His technical ability—especially his drum programming—and love of classic hip-hop came through on a recent Solid Steel Radio mix, for which Vynehall enlisted some MCs and constructed his own edits. There's similar resonance in the twisted neo-garage of "This Is The Place," which is suffused with the smoky, jazzy vibe of hip-hop's golden-era production greats—Q-Tip, The Beatnuts, Dilla—and wobbly Boards Of Canada-style synths. It's deliciously (just) off-kilter. With every release, it feels like Leon Vynehall is heading somewhere rather special.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Butterflies B1 This Is The Place
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